Handle



HANDLE Filed April 30, 1954 fian/ Qatar/M Patented July 2, 1935 UNITEDSTATES PAT-BENT OFFICE-f HANDLE Roderic M. Koch, Evansville, Ind.Application April 30, 1934, Serial No. 723,285

2 Claims. (01. 217 125) I My present invention relates to an improvedhandle and the method of making the same from sheet metal. While thehandle of my invention is adapted for use with various carriers,receptacles, and other commodities, it is especially adapted forutilization with baskets, as for instance fioral baskets of metal, andother artistic articles of manufacture.

In carrying out my invention I provide a method by means of which sheetmetal handles may be manufactured with facility at comparatively lowcost of production, and fashioned in various forms and shapes, to insurean artistic appearance for the handles, as well as to provide aconvenient hand-grasp by means of which the basket, container,receptacle, etc., may be carried.

My invention consists essentially in certain steps in the process ormethod of manufacturing the handles, and in combinations andarrangements of parts of the handle, as will be more fully set forth andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawing I have illustrated one complete example, andseveral modifications, embodying the principles of my invention, but itwill be understood that these exemplifications are illustrative of theinvention, and that changes and alterations'are contemplated and may bemade, within the scope of my claims, without departing from theprinciples of the invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sheet metal strip, having therein aseries of longitudinally extending slits or slots, which forms the blankfrom which the handle is fashioned.

Figure 2 is a face View of the handle-strip; Figure 3 is an edge view ofthe handle-strip of Figure 2; and Figure 4 is a conventionalized View(reduced in size) showing one of the shapes that may be employed for thecompleted article.

Figure 5 is a face view showing a modified form of handle-strip.

Figure 6 is a face View of another modified form of the invention;Figure '7 is an edge view of Figure 6; and Figure 8 is also aconventional View, reduced in size, showing a handle according to theinvention as depicted in Figures 6 and 7.

In addition to the two conventional illustrations of samples of thecompleted article, the drawing shows the steps employed in the processor method of manufacturing the handles.

In Figure 1 the strip designated l is of sheet metal, which may or maynot be-resilient, and this strip or blank is fashioned with a series oflongitudinally extending, centrally located, slits or slots 2, each ofwhich passes through the thickness of the metal. While theslits areshown'of substantially uniform length, and substantially equidistantapart, it will be understood that the length of the slits may be varied,and the distance between the slits may also be varied, for the purposeof accomplishinga variety of formations or configurations in thecompleted article.

Ihe ends 3, 3, of the metal strip-are not slitted, but on the otherhand, are left blank, in order that provision maybe made for suitablemeans for attaching 0r fastening the ends of the handle to' the basket.As one means of attachment I may provide holes 3 near the endsof thehandlestrip, by means of which the ends may be riveted in suitablemanner to the walls of the basket, but it will be understood that otherfastening means may be employed for this purpose.

In the production of the strips, they may be sheared from the edge of asheet of metal, or these strips may be fashioned from a long strip ofsheet metal which is cut transversely into the desired uniform lengthsfor my purpose. In either event, the sheet of metal, or the long strip,is slitted, as at 2, 2, and for this purpose the work may be passedbetween a pair of rolls having cutters thereon to form the slits, or thework may be fed to a suitable press'or other machine adapted to form theslits therein.

The slits 2 may be regularly spaced apart, or irregularly spaced, andthe series of slits may extend substantially the full length of thehandlestrip I as indicated in Figure 1. In some instances, only anintermediate portion of the flat metal strip may be slitted, for thepurpose of forming a handle in the strip, leaving the remainder of thestrip solid. As thus fashioned, a central or middle hand-grasp would beused in the intermediate portion of the handles shown in Figures 4 and8.

At the slitted portions of the strip I expand or stretch the metal intovarious forms, as for instance, into loops made up of arches, and thesearches may be shaped to produce a hexagonal loop as in Figure 3, acircular loop as in Figure '7, or any other suitable and appropriateshapes may be imparted to the arches in order that they may be employedas a hand-grasp for the handle.

These configurations or arches are fashioned in the slit metal strip ina suitable machine, by means of which the arches as 4 and 5 in Figures 2and 3, are made to extend in opposite directions from the opposite facesof the flat strip, leaving a flat blank portion 6 between the loopsformed by the arches.

The chord of the arch and the depth of the arch may be varied in orderto increase or diminish the peripheral dimensions of the hand-grasp,

and the distance between the longitudinally alinedarches or loops mayalso be varied for the purpose of providing a comfortable and convenienthand-grasp at the central or median portion of the handle-strip.

- In Figure 5, the metal strip the handle-strip, theftwo outer,'oredge-arches l and'l' areexpanded from one and the same 'face ofthestrip, while the intermediate-arch 8 as indicated. 1

is expanded from the other face of, the strip,

in opposite direction, leaving the flat portions 6 In Figures 6 and 7 afurther modified form of my invention is illustrated, where two seriesof spaced pairs of slits are provided, and the ends of the adjoiningpairs of slits overlap, thus providcase, the expanded strip provides aconvenient and comfortable hold for the hand. 7

.. Thehandle strip thusformed may be fashioned into various shapes, asfor instance, a round hanisprovided with a longitudinal series of pairs.ofslits; instead of a single row of.slits,;and in this modified form ofdle H in Figure 4; a triangular handle H m Figure 8; or the handle maybe bent to other desired shape.

As thus constructed the handle strip is flexible and. resilient, and itmay withfacility be bent to conform to the shapeof the receptacle orcarrier to which it is to be attached. The attaching ends 3, 3, maybe'conflned'between' the opposite walls of a basket and fastenedto thewalls by rivets; or these ends maybe attached at'the outer'side of thebasket walls, and there fastened by rivets, Q

or secured in other suitable manner.

In the practice of my invention I am enabled to'utilize comparativelylight metal, which is inexpensive, and with facility to fashion theslitted strip into a handle-strip possessing the required bulk,rigidity, and durability, for the performance. :of its ornamental andutilitarian functions; and theha'ndles maybe manufactured in quantitieswith rapidity and comparatively low cost of production.

Having thus fully described inventionpwhat' I claim as new and desire tosecure-by Letters Patent is: a l. A sheet metal'handlestrip havingrowsot alternately disposed groups of oppositely extending arches andsaid rows being spaced by a flat,

longitudinal, strip portion.- 7,

2. A sheet metal handle strip havingrowsjof alternating groups ofoppositely extendinga-rchesalong its longitudinal edges and flatspace-portionsaround three sides of each group. j

RODERIC M. KOCH.

